PRESIDENCY OF AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19986, 30 June 1928, Page 11

PRESIDENCY OF AMERICA.

DEMOCRATS' NOMINEE.

m. A. E. SMITH CHOSEN.

TREMENDOUS ENTHUSIASM.

PARTY ADOPTS PLATFORM. SCENES AT CONVENTION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Australian Press Association—(Tinted Service (Received Juno 29. 8.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. June 28. The delegates to the Democrat National Convention met again to-day at Houston, Texas. The Governor of New York, Mr. Alfred E. Smith, was nominated as the party's candidate for the Presidency. Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson were present. In the forenoon the name of Senator J. Reed, of Missouri, was submitted for nomination by a delegate from that State. Mr. Reed's supporters rattled huge cowbells, the clatter of which was deafening. Only the delegates from four States demonstrated in favour of Mr. Reed. The next name submitted for the Presidential nomination was that of Mr. G. M. Hitchcock, formerly senator for Nebraska. Much time was occupied by speakers. After luncheon the names of Messrs. A. Pomerene, formerh'' senator for Ohio, and Cordell Hull, member of the House of Representatives for Tennessee, were presented for the Presidential nomination. Smith Vote Made Unanimous. Mr. T. P. Gore, formerly senator for Oklahoma, in supporting the nomination of Mr. Reed, made a very bitter attack upon the Republican nominee, Mr. H. C. Hoover, for the latter's alleged pro-British proclivities. He said: Mr. Hoover is a familiar figure on the London streets. The man I support will never be offered a seat in the House of Lords by the crowned head of the British Empire. The speaker alleged corruption on the part of the Republicans, and asked how Mr. Hoover could tell they were not going to steal any more? The next four hours were occupied by speeches and heckling by disgusted delegates. Then the Prohibition Association of the Southern States presented a petition protesting against the nomination of any " wet " candidate.

The first ballot was then taken. Mr. Smith secured 726 votes, or seven short of the required majority. However, the Ohio delegates threw in their support, which gave Mr. Smith 44 more votes and secured Iris nomination. Other States followed Ohio's lead, and ultimately the convention made the choice of Mr. Smith unanimous. With the change-over of the State votes there were several fights in which the police took part. The announcement of Mr. Smith's total vote resulted in wild enthusiasm. Four bands played, 35,000 people shouted, and as many small devices were used for making a noise. Planks Adopted by Delegates. The Platform Committee submitted the following programme: A denunciation of the Republicans for their failure to enforce the prohibition law and a promise of an honest effort to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment and all other provisions of the Constitution and all the laws enacted pursuant to it. This was the strongest expression on the prohibition question ever adopted by the Democrats.

Other planks were: An endorsement of the McNary-Haugen Farm Relief Bill; a denunciation of the alleged corruption of the Republicans; and an equitable distribution of the tariff burden among all sections of the community.

In regard to foreign policy the programme endorsed the proposal to outlaw war, but demanded freedom from entangling political alliances with foreign nations. One plank condemned the Republicans for their failure to enforce a limitations of armaments and alleged that there is now a race between the nations in the building of unlimited weapons of destruction.

Other planks were: Non-interference with elections or other internal political affairs of any foreign nation, including Mexico, Nicaragua, and all the other Latin-American countries, and immediate independence for the Philippines.. Labour planks defended collective bargaining and favoured restrictive immigration.

The platform was adopted with a few dissentient votes To-morrow the Convention will sit again to choose a VicePresidential nominee. MR. SMITH'S CAREER. TRUCK-BOY TO PREMIER. FAMOUS IN OWN COUNTFIY. Mr. Alfred Emanuel Smith, Governor of New York State, who has been chosen by the Democrats to contest the election for the Presidency of the United States with Mr. H. C. Hoover, the Republican nominee, was born in New York city is* December, 1573. His father was a truckman at the East River Docks and when he died his son left school and took over the truck until he managed to secure a stall at the fish market. There one of the leaders of Tammany Hall, the Democrats' headquarters, discovered " A 1 " Smith and began his political education. A born orator, he began to speak in public at the age of 23. Such was his success that he was transferred from the fish market to the municipal administration. In 1903 he was elected to the State Assembly and served for 12 years, becoming Democrat leader m 1911, Speaker of the Assembly in 1913 and delegate to the State Convention in 1915. He opposed the constitution as finally revised, as it contained a provision to prevent New York city having a majority of members, and his campaign led to its rejection. In 1915 he became sheriff of New York County, then a lucrative post, though the fees were later abolished. Elected Governor of New York State in 1918. ho was beaten in 1920, but only by 73,000 votes as compared with a million in the State against the Democrat. Presidential candidate. He was again elected Governor in 1922 with the largest majority on record and was returned once more in 1924, although the Republicans carried

every other office in the State by large majorities. This was the first time for 100 yeax-s that a Governor had been twice re-elected. At the Democrat Convention in the same year he divided the vote with Mr. G. McAdoo and the deadlock was ended by nominating Mr. J. W. Davis for the Presidency. Even his opponents admit Mr. Smith's sagacity, integrity, and administrative ability, and he is famous all over the United States. He is a strong opponent of prohibition and in May, 1926, lie issued a decree enforcing the Senate's resolution that a referendum should bo taken on the Volstead Act.

In the autumn of 1926 Mr. Smith repeated liis 1924 success at the top of the poll, defeating the Ku Klux Klan, which wanted to exclude him as a Catholic. New York was one of the States which declared for the " wets." He defeated " big business " in the person of Mr. Ogden Mills, and gave the knock-out blow to Mr. McAdoo, his rival in the Democrat Party. Mr, Smith is a strong supporter of votes for women, and secured the ratification of the amendment to the Federal Constitution in 1919. He also secured the passage of many excellent social reforms. REPUBLICAN PARTY. MR. HOOVER'S CHANCES. OPTIMISM IN THE CAMP. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received June 29, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 28. The Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Hubert Work, who was recently elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, says Mr. 11. C. Hoover's campaign for the Presidential election will not be marked by a great expenditure of money.

The Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. A. W. Mellon, says he thinks Mr. Hoover's chances of election are brighter. The Democrats, he says, lack a genuine issue upon which they can appeal for the nation's support. He considers that the present prosperity of the country and the contentment of the people as a whole augur well for the election of Republicans as President and Vice-President.